Cleansing brush for columnar evaporator and the like



G. G. ZAHM May 29, 1951 CLEANSING BRUSH FOR COLUMNAR EVAPORATOR, AND THE LIKE Filed May 24, 1946 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. GEoR GE G. ZAHM (III/III Patented May 29, 1951 CLEAN SING BRUSH FOR COLUMNAR EVAPORATOR AND THE LIKE George G. Zahm, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Hurd Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 24, 1946, Serial No. 672,120

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cleansing brush for columnar evaporators and the like and, more particularly, to apparatus for cleaning such devices as are described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 575,512, led January 31, 1945, relating to Apparatus for Concentrating Liquids, which has matured into Patent No. 2,546,380, granted March 27, 1951. Devices of this type include a powerdriven impeller removably disposed within a cylindrical chamber, the inner surfaces of which must be periodically cleaned.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for cleansing the interior cylindrical surface of the chamber of such a device, using brushes or other cleansing elements bearing against such interior cylindrical surface under action of centrifugal force.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cleansing mechanism of the class described which can be inserted into and removed from such cylindrical chamber through an opening smaller than the diameter of the chamber.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary cleansing mechanism powered by the same power source `and coupling, which, in the normal use of the device to be cleansed, is used for driving its impeller.

An additional object of this invention is to impart to the rotary cleansing brushes a variable reciprocating motion simultaneously with rotary motion, more effectively to cleanse the interior surface.

The above and other objects will become more fully apparent from the following specification, which, by way of illustration rather than limitation, sets forth the preferred forms of apparatus constituting embodiments of the present invention, the scope of which is dened in the appended claims.

In the `accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side 'elevational view, partly in section, of a preferred form of cleaning apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the invention mounted in operable position within such device, which device is partly cut away better to show the position of the cleansing brushes therein; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Figure 1.

In its general organization, the preferred form of apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a vertical, preferably tubular, shaft I provided at its lower end with a longitudinally splined fevradially outward from bearing IB.

male fitting 2, adapted for complementary engagement with a splined stub shaft 3 projecting from the upper end of the rotary power drive shaft 4, journaled in the center of a circular base 5 of a concentrator C, more specifically described in the aforementioned co-pending application. The concentrator C comprises a cylindrical tube 6 provided at its upper end with an annular horizontal partition plate l, and a head portion 8 having at its upper margin hinged locking studs 9, each having a Wing nut I0.

Aiiixed to the shaft i are a plurality of collars II incorporating bifurcated brackets or lugs I2 extending radially Outward. Adjacent their outer extremities, the brackets or lugs I 2 are drilled vertically to receive pins I3 by which the inner ends of arms Ill are pivotally mounted. It should be understood in this connection that the arms I4 have a length somewhat greater than the radial distance from the center of the pins I3 to the interior wall to be cleansed. Cleansing elements, as brushes I5, are rigidly secured tc the outer extremities of arms Ill at such an angle to said arms that when the cleansing mechanism is located within the concentrator C and rotated rapidly such brushes I5 will swing outwardly under centrifugal force and bear fully against such wall. In the embodiment described, the brushes I5 are spaced alternately on opposite sides of the shaft I and are of such length as to sweep overlappingly the area t0 be cleansed with each revolution of the shaft. It is apparent that any number of brushes, one or more, might have been used, each supported by any number of arms, brackets and collars.

At the upper end of the shaft I, a reduction fitting I6 secures said shaft concentrically to a shaft I'I, which, in turn, is rotatably mounted in a bearing I8. When the splined fitting 2 at the lower end of the shaft I is seated on the stub shaft 3, reduction tting Ii is at a distance below bearing I3 less than the length of the engaging splines, permitting the assembly to be raised and lowered without disengaging the splines.

Bearing I8 is an integral part of three-legged spider bracket I9, having legs 2li which extend The under side of each leg 20 is provided with a lip 2| adapted to fit snugly within the head portion 8 of the concentrator C thereby aligning the bearing I8 with the vertical axis of the concentrator C. Each of the legs 20 are bifurcated at their outer ends for engagement With the hinged locking studs 9, by which the spider bracket I9 is releasably held in place.

Said spider bracket I9 also includes an upwardly extending, radially slotted lug d offset from bearing I8 for rockably supporting lever 22 provided at its outer extremity with a conventional handle (not shown) and at its inner end the lever 22 is provided with a yoke 23, whichA extends half 'around 'shaft I'I and bears, at diametrally opposite points, under and against a bearing surface 2li upon the under face of a collar 25 fixed to the upper end `of the shaft I1 bya In operation, the top cap (not shown) o'f-the' concentrator C is removed, and the impeller (not shown) of such device withdrawn vertically up'- ward through the top annular opening in partition plate l. The cleansing brushes lare inan-Y ually swung backward from thev direction of rota#Y tion and inward along the side of the shaft I, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. In this posi tion, the brushes extend outward from the shaft axis less'than the radius of such annular opening, and can then be lowered until the splined tting 2 on the'lower end o'f shaft I engages the splines of, and rests upon, the stub shaft 3. The spider bracket IQ is then fastened down in the manner above described and the main drive (not shown) of the concentrator C set in rotation, causing shaft I and all parts mounted thereto to rotate. By centrifugal force, the brushes I and arms III aretl'irown` outwardly against the interior wall of the concentrator C. The cleansing action of said brushes can be augmented, at the will of the operato'rof'the apparatus, by moving the handle of the lever 22 upwardly and downwardly several strokes from time to time while the shaft is r0- tating. Pressing said handle downward causes the yoke 23 to bear against and lift the bearing surface 2li on collar Il, thus raising the entire rotating assembly from its seat on the stub shaft 3. The upward movement is limited by the length ofthe shaft I l between the reduction fitting I5 and the lower edge of bearing IB, which limitation prevents disengagement of the shaft I. When such handle is no longer pressed downward, the rotating assembly will seatv itself again on the stub shaft 3 by action of gravity. Inasmuch as the brushes infiove'upwardly and downwardly'with the rotating shaft I, repeated movements of said handle while the shaft I is rotating will impart to the brushes a scrubbing motion which clea'nses more eifectively than simple rotary mtion.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement and combination of the several partsv ofthe centrifugal cleansing apparatus may be' made and substituted for those herein shown andfde'- scribed without departing from the Inature and principle of the present invention. For example, the device to be cleansed need not be cylindrical, but may be of another shape generated by revolving a line about an axis, nor need theaxis" be vertical.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. For use with process-apparatus'*including a base upon which is mounted a retort requiring cleaning from time to time and having a power driven rotary stub shaft projecting axially up- .wardly thereinto, a'cleaning device, comprising a vertical shaft, brackets extending outward therefrom, arms theretol attached on a pivot axis parallel to the shaft axis, cleansing members afxed to the outer ends of said arms, said shaft also having a longitudinally splined fitting at its lower end for extensibly engaging the rotary drive shaft and being adapted for slidable movement along the axis v-of thewretort to be cleansed, through a predetermined reciprocating stroke, a section of annularly reduced diameter at the upper portion of said shaft, a bearing rotatably engaging said reduced section, the lower end of which beari'rig confines the unreduced shaft sectinV beneath it, thus fixing the greatest length of reciprocation of said shaft, a radially-armed lira'nck'et"attafchrabl'eto and removable from the top of the device to be' cleansed, said bracket holding the s aid bearing lcentrally and aligned on the axis ofthe cylindrical wall to be cleansed, a radially-extending lever mounted on said bracket, and 'a' collar xed to said shaft, extending over and bearing upon the inner extremity of said l'ever, by which means' saidr shaft may be reciprocated.

2; or use with a cylindrical evaporator c'olumn having a rotary impeller removably mounted at its lower end on a lvertical power driven stubshaft, a removable brush for cleaning the in"- terior surfaces of the column comprisingY aj shaft, coupling means at the lower end of said shaft for engagement with the stub-shaft of the evaporator column', lugs fixed upon and extending radially outward from said shaft, rarms each pivotally attached to the outer end` of a lug sov as to permit' itsmovement in the plane normal to the shaftl axis',v brushes affixed tolth'efcute'r ends of; and extending vertically between, adjacent pairs of said arms, saidV brushes being spaced alternately on'o'pposite sides 0f saidv shaftj andV being of overlapping length; the distance'between the outer faces of the brushes and thepivot point of the arms being greater than the radial dis"- tance` from said pivot point to the interior cylindrical surface whereby the brushes can be retracted to smaller overall diametral size for in'- sertijon into the column and be adapted to swing outwardly under the innuenee' of centrifuga force' when the shaft is rotated for scrubbing Contact with the inner face of the column, andja spider `having a central bearing collar engaging the upper endfof theshaft and `beingadap'ted for releas'able engagement' withV the upper endA of the column so that the'bearing collar is substantially concentric with the' column;

GEORGE G. ZAHM. REFERENCES CITED following" references are of recordl in the file of thistpatent:

UNITEDV STATES PATENTS Number Name Datev 210,674` Cunningham Dec'. 10, 1878 371,366 Roberts oct. 11, 1887 1,009,170 Owens Nov. 21, 1911 1,243,579 Bates oct 16,1917 1;5-39;71 Crum May 26, 1925 1,795,098M scadding Mar. 3, 1931 1,909,539A Kramer May 16, 1933 FOREIGNv PATNTs Number Country Date 211,640 Great Britain r Feb. 28,1924 

